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2013-05-18 03:58:57 (0 comments, 5 reshares, 16 +1s)

New Research Suggests Possible Direction for Treatment of Autism

In the first successful experiment with humans using a treatment known as sensory-motor or environmental enrichment, researchers documented marked improvement in young autistic boys when compared to boys treated with traditional behavioral therapies, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

More at http://bit.ly/10X6typ
#neuroscience  

2013-05-18 03:52:11 (0 comments, 5 reshares, 24 +1s)

Study Identifies New Approach to Improving Treatments for MS and Other Conditions

Working with lab mice models of multiple sclerosis (MS), UC Davis scientists have detected a novel molecular target for the design of drugs that could be safer and more effective than current FDA-approved medications against MS.

More at http://bit.ly/14yjQ6o
#neuroscience  

2013-05-17 00:02:15 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 15 +1s)

Fishing for Memories

In our interaction with our environment we constantly refer to past experiences stored as memories to guide behavioral decisions. But how memories are formed, stored and then retrieved to assist decision-making remains a mystery.

By observing whole-brain activity in live zebrafish, researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute have visualized for the first time how information stored as long-term memory in the cerebral cortex is processed to guide behavioral choices.

The study was published today in the journal Neuron.

More at http://bit.ly/10TM9Oj
#neuroscience  

2013-05-16 22:43:44 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Physicist’s Tool has Potential for Brain Mapping

A new tool being developed by UT Arlington assistant professor of physics could help scientists map and track the interactions between neurons inside different areas of the brain.

The journal Optics Letters recently published a paper by Samarendra Mohanty on the development of a fiber-optic, two-photon, optogenetic stimulator and its use on human cells in a laboratory. The tiny tool builds on Mohanty’s previous discovery that near-infrared light can be used to stimulate a light-sensitive protein introduced into living cells and neurons in the brain. This new method could show how different parts of the brain react when a linked area is stimulated. [...]

More at http://bit.ly/18Om7xS
#neuroscience  

2013-05-16 22:00:42 (0 comments, 5 reshares, 12 +1s)

Bach to the Blues: Our Emotions Match Music to Colors

Whether we’re listening to Bach or the blues, our brains are wired to make music-color connections depending on how the melodies make us feel, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley. For instance, Mozart’s jaunty Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major is most often associated with bright yellow and orange, whereas his dour Requiem in D minor is more likely to be linked to dark, bluish gray.

Moreover, people in both the United States and Mexico linked the same pieces of classical orchestral music with the same colors. This suggests that humans share a common emotional palette – when it comes to music and color – that appears to be intuitive and can cross cultural barriers, UC Berkeley researchers said.

The paper was published this week in the journal Proceedings of the NationalAcademy... more »

2013-05-16 03:12:33 (2 comments, 7 reshares, 20 +1s)

‘Good Vibrations’! Brain Ultrasound Improves Mood

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques aimed at mental and neurological conditions include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for depression, and transcranial direct current (electrical) stimulation (tDCS), shown to improve memory. Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) has also shown promise.

More at http://bit.ly/15OGfBg

The TUS image is credited to the Center for Consciousness Studies, University of Arizona.

2013-05-16 01:55:01 (0 comments, 12 reshares, 24 +1s)

Brain Rewires Itself After Damage or Injury

When the brain’s primary “learning center” is damaged, complex new neural circuits arise to compensate for the lost function, say life scientists from UCLA and Australia who have pinpointed the regions of the brain involved in creating those alternate pathways — often far from the damaged site.

The research, conducted by UCLA’s Michael Fanselow and Moriel Zelikowsky in collaboration with Bryce Vissel, a group leader of the neuroscience research program at Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research, appears this week in the early online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

More at http://bit.ly/17wRT3n

The brain drawing is credited to Gray's Anatomy.

2013-05-16 00:07:11 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 10 +1s)

Skin Cancer May Be Linked to Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

People who have skin cancer may be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research published in the May 15, 2013, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The link does not apply to melanoma, a less common but more aggressive type of skin cancer.

More at http://bit.ly/10Qk8XY

The image shows a basal cell carcinoma.

2013-05-15 22:46:55 (2 comments, 2 reshares, 11 +1s)

Repeat Brain Injury Raises Soldiers’ Suicide Risk

People in the military who suffer more than one mild traumatic brain injury face a significantly higher risk of suicide, according to research by the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah.

A survey of 161 military personnel who were stationed in Iraq and evaluated for a possible traumatic brain injury – also known as TBI – showed that the risk for suicidal thoughts or behaviors increased not only in the short term, as measured during the past 12 months, but during the individual’s lifetime.

More at http://bit.ly/10Qbrgr

The CT scan of a subdural hemorrhage resulting from TBI is used only for reference and isn't directly associated with the research.

2013-05-15 02:38:00 (0 comments, 7 reshares, 18 +1s)

Trying to be Happier Works When Listening to Upbeat Music

The song, “Get Happy,” famously performed by Judy Garland, has encouraged people to improve their mood for decades. Recent research at the University of Missouri discovered that an individual can indeed successfully try to be happier, especially when cheery music aids the process. This research points to ways that people can actively improve their moods and corroborates earlier MU research.

More at http://bit.ly/10WzPHi

2013-05-15 01:07:43 (0 comments, 6 reshares, 17 +1s)

Brain-Imaging Study Links Cannabinoid Receptors to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Researchers discovered a connection between the quantity of cannabinoid receptors in the human brain, known as CB1 receptors, and post-traumatic stress disorder, the chronic, disabling condition that can plague trauma victims with flashbacks, nightmares and emotional instability.

Their findings, which appear online today in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, will also be presented this week at the annual meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry in San Francisco.

More at http://bit.ly/17s4Jjd

The image is credited to the NIMH and shows the areas of the brain associated with fear and stress. The image is not associated with the research.

2013-05-15 01:05:53 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

New Drug Enhances Radiation Treatment for Brain Cancer in Preclinical Studies

A new drug could help increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy for patients with glioblastoma multiforme, the most deadly form of brain cancer. The ATM kinase inhibitor, in combination with radiation therapy, helped significantly extend survival rates in mouse models of GBM.

More at http://bit.ly/10MKqdu

The image is an MRI scan of a patient with brain cancer. The bright blue color is where brain cancer metastasizes in the occipital lobe. The image is not directly related to this research and is used for illustrative purposes only.

2013-05-14 22:30:05 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 8 +1s)

Alzheimer’s Markers Predict Start of Mental Decline

Researchers have identified biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease which accurately predict the development of the disease years prior to symptoms developing.

More at http://bit.ly/YHIG38

The FDG-PET images show reduced glucose metabolism in temporal and parietal regions in patients with MCI and Alzheimer’s disease. The image is not associated with this research.

2013-05-14 04:47:58 (0 comments, 8 reshares, 17 +1s)

Grammar Errors? The Brain Detects Them Even When You Are Unaware

Researchers discover people detect and process grammatical errors with no conscious awareness of doing so.

More at http://bit.ly/ZVID0U

2013-05-13 21:47:27 (0 comments, 8 reshares, 22 +1s)

2013-05-11 01:53:50 (2 comments, 22 reshares, 34 +1s)

Experience Leads to the Growth of New Brain Cells

Researchers examine how individuality develops through adult neurogenesis; the generation of new neurons in the hippocampus which allows the brain to react flexibly to new information.

More at http://bit.ly/13LFoNf

The image shows the hippocampus highlighted and is modified from a plate scan of "Posterior and inferior cornua of left lateral ventricle exposed from the side" in Gray's Anatomy.

2013-05-11 00:20:46 (0 comments, 5 reshares, 18 +1s)

Cancer Drug Prevents Build-up of Toxic Brain Protein

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have used tiny doses of a leukemia drug to halt accumulation of toxic proteins linked to Parkinson’s disease in the brains of mice. This finding provides the basis to plan a clinical trial in humans to study the effects.

They say their study, published online May 10 in Human Molecular Genetics, offers a unique and exciting strategy to treat neurodegenerative diseases that feature abnormal buildup of proteins in Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia, Huntington disease and Lewy body dementia, among others. [...]

More at http://bit.ly/13Lv6ga

The brain image is credited to NIA/NIH.

2013-05-10 23:42:39 (0 comments, 10 reshares, 14 +1s)

Lyme Disease Vaccine Shows Promise in Clinical Trial

A new vaccine for Lyme disease, a neurological and physically debilitating tick borne disease, has proved promising and well tolerated by patients, according to researchers. The Lyme vaccine is shown to produce substantial antibodies against all targeted species of Borrelia, the causative agent of Lyme disease.

More at http://bit.ly/199E1Z9

The image shows an erythema migrans (“bulls eye” rash), commonly associated with early Lyme infection.

2013-05-10 22:32:07 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 7 +1s)

Stem Cell Researchers Move Toward Treatment for Rare Genetic Nerve Disease

Led by Dr. Peiyee Lee and Dr. Richard Gatti, researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have used induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to advance disease-in-a-dish modeling of a rare genetic disorder, ataxia telangiectasia (A-T).

Their discovery shows the positive effects of drugs that may lead to effective new treatments for the neurodegenerative disease. iPS cells are made from patients’ skin cells, rather than from embryos, and they can become any type of cells, including brain cells, in the laboratory. The study appears online ahead of print in the journal Nature Communications.[...]

More at http://bit.ly/YLhG4Z

The image shows the cerebellum highlighted in an MRI scan.

2013-05-10 21:21:49 (0 comments, 9 reshares, 19 +1s)

Cocaine Vaccine Passes Key Testing Hurdle

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have successfully tested their novel anti-cocaine vaccine in primates, bringing them closer to launching human clinical trials.

Their study, published online by the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, used a radiological technique to demonstrate that the anti-cocaine vaccine prevented the drug from reaching the brain and producing a dopamine-induced high.

“The vaccine eats up the cocaine in the blood like a little Pac-man before it can reach the brain,” says the study’s lead investigator, Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chairman of the Department of Genetic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. [...]

More at http://bit.ly/199mhgv

The image shows the general pathways and some functions associated with dopamine and serotonin

2013-05-10 01:15:12 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 9 +1s)

2013-05-09 23:35:49 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 8 +1s)

2013-05-08 23:17:49 (1 comments, 10 reshares, 17 +1s)

Enhanced Motion Detection in Autism May Point to Underlying Cause of the Disorder

A new study finds children with autism see simple movements twice as quickly as their non-autistic peers. This hypersensitivity to motion could provide clues to one of the fundamental causes of autism.

More at the link.

2013-05-08 23:15:50 (0 comments, 6 reshares, 10 +1s)

Brain Anatomy of Dyslexia Is Not the Same in Men and Women, Boys and Girls

Using MRI, neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center found significant differences in brain anatomy when comparing men and women with dyslexia to their non-dyslexic control groups, suggesting that the disorder may have a different brain-based manifestation based on sex.

Their study, investigating dyslexia in both males and females,is the first to directly compare brain anatomy of females with and without dyslexia (in children and adults). Their findings were published online in the journal Brain Structure and Function.

More at the link.

2013-05-07 21:10:45 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 7 +1s)

2013-05-06 22:58:53 (0 comments, 8 reshares, 18 +1s)

Multiple Sclerosis May Not Be As Rare As Thought in African-Americans

Contrary to a widely accepted belief, African-Americans may have a higher rather than lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) than Caucasians, according to a new study in the May 7, 2013, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Read more at http://bit.ly/12MhEWg

2013-05-06 21:37:43 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 7 +1s)

Preclinical Study Shows Heroin Vaccine Blocks Relapse

Scientists reported successful preclinical tests in rats of a new vaccine against heroin addiction. The vaccine targets heroin and its psychoactive breakdown products in the bloodstream, blocking relapse.

Read more at http://bit.ly/10iff9T.

The image shows the localization of opiate binding sites within the brain and spinal cord.

2013-04-24 23:35:11 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 11 +1s)

2013-04-24 23:34:44 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 11 +1s)

2013-04-17 23:53:24 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 12 +1s)

2013-04-11 22:39:04 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 13 +1s)

2013-04-11 22:20:32 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 7 +1s)

2013-04-11 22:05:40 (1 comments, 3 reshares, 10 +1s)

2013-04-10 12:13:18 (2 comments, 6 reshares, 16 +1s)

Reliability of Neuroscience Research Questioned

New research questions the reliability of neuroscience studies, concluding that results could be misleading due to low statistical power.

A team led by academics from the University of Bristol reviewed 48 articles on neuroscience meta-analysis which were published in 2011 and concluded that most had an average power of around 20 per cent – a finding which means the chance of the average study discovering the effect being investigated is only one in five.

2013-04-10 02:53:28 (0 comments, 13 reshares, 25 +1s)

Success in Patients with Major Depression Using Deep Brain Stimulation

Researchers implanted pacemaker electrodes into the medial forebrain bundle of patients suffering from major depression and performed deep brain stimulation. In a matter of days, in six out of seven patients, symptoms such as anxiety, despondence, listlessness and joylessness had improved considerably.

2013-04-06 01:31:03 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 16 +1s)

2013-04-05 22:24:34 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 13 +1s)

2013-04-05 22:22:59 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 11 +1s)

2013-04-04 00:25:06 (1 comments, 5 reshares, 23 +1s)

2013-04-02 22:31:06 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 17 +1s)

2013-03-29 00:21:50 (1 comments, 6 reshares, 16 +1s)

2013-03-29 00:20:58 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

I apologize for the website problems and lack of updates this week.

Last weekend, our hosting company migrated the website to a new server and there were quite a few problems. The servers were getting hammered by spam and other less helpful interactions with the public, so the migration was necessary. Updating the site, having traffic spikes due to social media use and other site activities would only cause problems for the migration, so most of the content on the site has remained steady this past week.

Since the migration by the hosting company, the site has been up and down quite a bit this week; mostly down. Email after email from our hosting company tells us that things are getting worked out and that the site will behave normally soon.

An article was posted to the site today to test the ability to handle traffic and find any other problems that may remain. So far, so... more »

2013-03-22 22:46:21 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 9 +1s)

2013-03-22 20:58:19 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 10 +1s)

2013-03-22 20:33:19 (2 comments, 4 reshares, 15 +1s)

2013-03-21 23:01:01 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 12 +1s)

2013-03-21 22:15:34 (1 comments, 4 reshares, 14 +1s)

2013-03-21 21:49:43 (0 comments, 5 reshares, 13 +1s)

2013-03-21 00:08:10 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 16 +1s)

2013-03-18 22:50:44 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 11 +1s)